Christian Eriksen’s exclusion from Spurs team a surprise for Denmark coach Morten Olsen

Denmark coach Morten Olsen admits he’s very surprised at Christian Eriksen’s recent exclusion from Tottenham’s side, believing he can become one of the top players in the country.

Eriksen has not started any of Tottenham’s last three games, despite being a regular at the start of new manager Tim Sherwood’s reign.

The summer signing from Ajax was left out of the team to play Norwich last Sunday, a decision Olsen believes was particularly baffling.

‘Was it a surprise to see him left out? Yes, very much,’ Olsen told The Standard. ‘But I accept what my colleague chooses and I don’t know what happens in training.

‘Nevertheless, when Christian has played he has shown he is a player who can make the difference. He is a creative player and he can play in different positions and Tottenham have used him in different roles.

‘If he doesn’t have a very good day he can always perform for the team because he works very hard, and that’s very important when you play 40 or 50 games in a season. I’ve seen most of his games for Tottenham and I think he has done very well.

‘Everyone who comes to the Premier League has to adapt to the different pace of the game. He has had a great technical and tactical education, but the next stop after that is to play in one of the top leagues in Europe. The name of the game in England is speed. He has shown from the beginning, though, that he is the kind of player who can do well in England.’

Eriksen (left) is challenged by Everton’s Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy during a Premier League clash at White Hart Lane earlier this month (Picture: Reuters)

Spurs will be aiming to overturn a 1-0 deficit when they entertain Dnipro in the Europa League on Thursday.

Whether Eriksen plays a part remains to be seen, but Olsen is certain the 22-year-old is yet to show his full potential, comparing him to fellow former Ajax playmakers Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder.

‘Of course, he has more to come,’ Olsen said. ‘If I look at Sneijder and Van der Vaart, I don’t think they were at the same stage as Christian is now when they were 22.

‘He won the domestic title with Ajax three times, he played in the 2010 World Cup, he played in Euro 2012, and he has 42 caps for the national team. At a young age, he has a lot of experience.

‘Can he become one of the best players in England? He has the possibility. He has a tactical eye and he is a good technical player, but he also has a fantastic mentality. In Euro 2012, he didn’t perform as well as he wanted to but he was always running like crazy for the team.

‘He is an offensive, creative player but with his running ability and speed, he can be useful in a number of different positions, and he is certainly happy at Tottenham.

‘When he was choosing where to move, I told him that Tottenham was a very good club. Traditionally, they have always played technical football, so it was a good move for them and a good move for him.’